


Things you didn't say

by Lyrishadow



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:01:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28904538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: Egan owes his old friend the truth, but there are steps to that, and calling him out in front of everyone isn't the plan so he waits for shore leave... but that is stressful too.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Kudos: 4





	Things you didn't say

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompted: “why didn’t you tell me?”  
> also, a re-write of a scene I have done before.

It was meant to be shore leave, the first one actually, the Normandy SR1 crew had earned their break. Egan Shepard was pacing however the length of the lower deck.  
"Shepard," Ashley Williams warned him from her gun bench " If you don't stop pacing you will wear a hole in the floor."   
"Sorry." He shook his head as he apologized "Why are you still here?"  
"I…" Ash looked down to avoid his gaze " I feel more comfortable on the ship, don't worry I will go out this evening I promise."   
"Well, at least that's a good thing." Egan nodded "its important to relax."  
"Ah if you don’t mind me asking…"  
"Sure, you know how I feel about off duty conversation."  
"Ok, what have you so worked up?" She frowned " cant be the council because you don't really give a shit what they think."  
" true." Egan sighed " have you ever waited almost too long to tell someone you care?"   
" yeah, a bit." Ash was intrigued, she had never seen this side of her Commander.   
"I have an old friend I’m going to meet…" Egan blushed "I guess I should have told them long ago."  
"Yeah… she cant be a mind reader."  
" He. And I just disappeared without saying goodbye…"  
"Oh hell Shepard" Ash shook her head " maybe don't do that"   
"Yeah."  
"The friend still agreed to meet you?"  
" Well, I don’t think he knows he’s meeting me exactly…"  
"Well…" Ash sighed "You just have to do it."  
Egan groaned, she was correct but he was still worried Kaidan would never forgive him for disappearing back when they knew each other.  
“I know, you are likely right.” Egan went back to pacing, checking his omni-tool again to see the time.  
“Commander?” Ash said, and he could hear the exasperation in her voice “You could just go, be at the place before he comes to meet you?”  
“I…” Egan nodded, he was bothering the Gunnery Chief and he needed to try and get a handle on himself before he lost the plot completely. “Right. I am going. And Ash?”  
“Yes SIr?”  
“Get your butt off the ship and do some relaxing. Whatever you have going on here will wait.”  
“I just…” Ash complained then decided to obey his order “Ok, I will go. Good luck with your reunion.”

Egan made his way off the ship and over to the bar he had agreed to meet at, it was the quietest of the three they had found on the citadel, which Egan hoped would allow them to talk and catch up without headaches or the more likely interruption of the crew. The bar was more upmarket, serving the embassy staff and visitors. He had arranged a table that was not in the main area so that he was less likely to be seen.  
He took his seat and waited.   
Kaidan Akenko walked into the bar with a confused frown on his face.  
"Commander…." He paused waiting for the invite to sit down.  
"This isn't a formal meeting." He waved Kaidan to a seat.   
"Well, Shepard, Ah why did you want to talk with me?"  
"You really don't remember me?" Egan leaned forward, he pulled up the picture from his old omni tool in front of him of the two of them when he was fifteen.  
"You are… no.." Kaidan blinked, this was a lot to process. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
"I was going to…" Egan sighed "but I was certain you were angry at me for things...”  
"Things like how you disappeared?" Kaidan added, holding his hand up to stop Egan replying "confused, not angry… my best friend vanishing, and next, I hear about a fire… I thought you had died."   
"Sorry." Egan shook his head " there was a coup in the Reds, they killed my boss and the fire was them trying to kill me."   
"Egan you could have come and stayed with me…"  
"I couldn’t paint a target on your back, they knew I survived. Sent one of the kids over with my omni-tool, after they put trackers on it.”  
“How did you get out then?” Kaidan said quietly “I really didn’t recognize you, you have changed… significantly.”  
“I suppose that’s what being fed and in the armed forces does.” Egan replied, looking down he added “and Akuze.”  
“Akuze… shit.” Kaidan was quiet for a moment before he grinned “So now I have to salute you huh?”  
“Just for a while... From what I’ve seen.” Egan laughed, then turned serious “I tried to get them to send you a message.”  
“My dad got one… it said something about a fire and …” Kaidan stopped “that you were dead.”  
“What?” Egan was confused this wasn’t what he had asked “I told them to let you know I was safe, but I guess they got creative to keep the reds away or something.”  
“Creative? Who exactly?”  
“Well.” Egan exhaled “I was rescued by Captain Anderson.”  
“Shit. You have all the luck. Ok, I can see why they told me you were dead.”  
“I was in the hospital for a bit, then on the citadel - not that anyone really knows that.”  
“So everyone saying this is your first time here, is wrong?” Kaidan leaned forward surprised.  
“Yeah. First time here as Commander Shepard though.” Egan shrugged “and I guess on the presidium.”  
“Well.” Kaidan grinned at him, looking more relaxed than he had before “I was worried I was in trouble.”  
“Ah, sorry.” Egan laughed “It’s far more confusing than that.”  
“Yeah. Look, it might take me a while to relax again.” Kaidan shifted a little and Egan could see he was irritated at himself for what he was about to say. “It takes a lot to go from thinking someone is gone to having them there, but you are... were.. a good friend to me in a very trying time and I have never forgotten that; I just need a little time to think this through.”  
“Take all you need. This trip has turned into far more than intended.” Egan sighed then grabbed the menu “Let’s order some lunch though, talking makes me hungry.”  
“If I recall correctly, everything makes you hungry.” Kaidan laughed but followed suit with the food order.


End file.
